Participants at the first consultative conference of the Standing Committee of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front in the northern province of Bắc Ninh.— Photos courtesy of the People's Committee of Bắc Ninh

BẮC NINH — At its first consultative conference, the Standing Committee of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front in the northern province of Bắc Ninh agreed on the overall structure, composition and number of candidates to be introduced for election to the 16th National Assembly for the 2026-31 term.

The conference approved a total of 16 National Assembly candidates, consisting of nine individuals who live and work in the locality and seven candidates nominated by central agencies.

The agreement was reached through a formal consultative process conducted by vote.

The provincial branch of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front is expected to introduce 34 candidates for election.

In terms of composition, the proposed slate includes seven centrally nominated candidates; one key provincial leader; four full-time deputies; five representatives from the Party and government bloc; four from the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union; two from the business and professional community; five from the financial sector; three from the culture and arts sector; and three from science and technology.

The combined structure is designed to ensure representation targets, with women accounting for 29.41 per cent, ethnic minority representatives 11.76 per cent, non-Party members 2.94 per cent, young deputies 8.82 per cent, and re-elected deputies 20.58 per cent.

The conference also reached unanimous agreement on the structure, composition and number of deputies to the 20th term of the provincial People’s Council (2026-31), which will comprise 85 deputies.

To form the preliminary candidate list, the Standing Committee of the provincial branch of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front plans to introduce 155 candidates, ensuring a balanced allocation across sectors: 25.16 per cent from the Party; 40.6 per cent from government agencies and public service units; 24.5 per cent from the Fatherland Front and socio-political organisations; 5.08 per cent from the armed forces and judicial bodies; and 3.87 per cent from the business and religious sectors, among others.

Nguyễn Thị Hà, Chairwoman of the provincial branch of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front delivers her speech at the conference.

Speaking at the conference, Nguyễn Thị Hà, a member of the provincial Party Standing Committee and Chairwoman of the provincial branch of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front, said the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and the 20th-term provincial People’s Council is not only a right and obligation of every citizen, but also a process to select truly outstanding individuals with sufficient integrity, capacity and credibility to represent the people at the National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels.

She emphasised that the first consultative conference is a crucial initial step, laying the foundation for the entire process of introducing candidates.

Its successful organisation is of particular importance, as it sets the preliminary framework for determining the structure, composition and number of candidates nominated by political organisations, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front, socio-political organisations, social organisations, armed forces units, State agencies at the provincial level, public service units, economic organisations and commune-level administrative units.— VNS